


Towards Him

by Piano



Category: Free!
Genre: AU, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 07:31:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1183554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piano/pseuds/Piano
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka has been constantly moving thanks to his father's job, leaving him withdrawn and friendless. He doesn't expect anything different at this new high school, until he is bumped into by a brown-haired stranger with a strangely genuine smile.</p>
<p>Written for the MakoHaru Festival on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Towards Him

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my short fic for the "That Smile" challenge at the makoharu festival on tumblr. If you like it, please reblog the post at http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com!
> 
> Beta'd by Cottontale.

Haruka wasn’t expecting anything special when his parents picked up and moved him to the next town, to their new job. It had always been like this since he was young, moving from place to place every year or so when his father had to be transferred to a new department location. His mother always seemed to worry about the affect this took on him psychologically but he was used to it by now. The sense of dread at being the new kid at school had softened to a dull twist in his stomach, and the loneliness and rejection he felt whenever he was ignored or (worse) stared at like he was a carnival attraction had lessened as well.

He learned that if he didn’t try it hurt less.

Even when being told that this was going to be the last time they moved and that he would be able to have a “real high school experience”, Haruka still didn’t expect much. After all, he had grown used to the quiet surrounding his school life and the solitude was almost comforting, just like the ease he felt when surrounded by water in the ocean or his small tub.

So on the first day of school he got dressed in an unfamiliar uniform, ate a quick breakfast of mackerel and toast, and proceeded onto the train on time (but just barely). A quick glance around indicated that there were no seats left, so Haru became as comfortable as he could standing against a window and slipping into the quiet recesses of his mind to be ignored, as usual.

Or so he thought.

“Ah, just made it!” A taller, more muscular teenager sprinted onto the train just as the doors were about to close. Unfortunately the train just started to move before he could get his balance, sending him careening into Haru and nearly sending the two of them crashing to the floor. The taller boy managed to grab the railing with one hand and Haru’s arm with the other before that happened though, quickly pulling the other up as he stood.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry about that! Are you okay?” Haru glanced up at the boy, quietly taking in his features. His brown hair was messy but not unkempt and his green eyes shone with a gentle concern that he was unused to seeing from others.

After a few seconds of silence, Haru realized that the boy was talking to him, so he should probably answer. “….Yes.” he muttered, eyes flickering to the hand that was still on his arm.

“Ah, I’m so relieved!” He smiled.

Haru’s eyes widened slightly. He had never seen a smile like it, or at least not directed at him. It was kind, soft and gentle, like the boy’s eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if he always smiled like that, full of genuine warmth.

Instead of turning around and letting that be that and ignoring Haru, much to his surprise, the boy continued the conversation.

“We’re both wearing the same uniform, huh? Do you go to Iwatobi too? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” He smiled again, that smile, this time accentuated with a small laugh. “Though I guess I didn’t make a great impression running into you like that. Oh! I should probably introduce myself. My name is Makoto Tachibana.”

Haru wasn’t sure how to react. Was he really talking to him like this? Was he making fun of him? No, judging by his expression and sincere tone, it seemed like he really was just having a conversation with him. This caused his heart to pound slightly, in both excitement and nervousness. He had no idea how to communicate with other people, especially not when they treated him this kindly.

“So what’s your name?”

He had to try, at least.

“Haruka.”

Makoto blinked in surprise, then tilted his head slightly. “Haruka?”

Haru nodded, glancing down for a moment to avoid his glance as he tried to think of how to form the words. “Haruka Nanase” He paused, biting his bottom lip slightly as he tried to suppress his nerves and force his voice to a level above a mutter. “But call me Haru.”

***

Much to Haru’s silent delight, Makoto ended up being in his class as well. Despite how kind Makoto had been to him on the train, Haru had expected him to start ignoring him once they got to school. That didn’t happen. Just the opposite, actually. Makoto had continued to talk with him on breaks, invited him to eat lunch with the rest of the swim team members and even left with him to catch the train.

Was it possible that a person this kind could actually exist?

Before he knew it, Haru was discovering what it felt like to actually have a…friend? That’s what he would like to think, anyway. He didn’t know if Makoto considered them friends, considering he had never had one before, but he did know that he gradually began visiting Makoto’s house more and more during the week to work on homework, play video games or just hang out.

But were they just friends?

Haru was pretty sure that your heart wasn’t supposed to skip a beat at seeing a friend smile, or feel a jolt of electricity at accidentally bumping shoulders. As time went on, Haru began to wonder what it would be like to hold Makoto’s hand, slightly larger than his own. Would their fingers fit together? Would it be warm and make his heart start beating rapidly in his chest? If he kissed Makoto, how would that feel? Would his lips be soft or slightly chapped? Would he like it?

The more and more these thoughts began seeping into his mind, the more terrified Haru began to feel and tried to desperately suppress them. He had finally discovered what it felt like to not be alone and to have a sense of light in the dark ocean of his mind. There was no way he would let himself mess this up.

“Haru?”

The sound of Makoto’s voice snapped Haru out of his thoughts. He was over at the other’s house again, working on homework in his bedroom. Makoto looked a bit worried, lips slightly downturned as he looked at Haru.

“Are you okay?”

Haru gritted his teeth, but tried to look as passive as possible. There was no way he could tell Makoto. He had to calm down but they were sitting in his room and it was just so entrenched in Makoto’s smell and warmth and…

“You look kind of- Mph!” Just like that, Haru had closed the distance between them to place a kiss on the taller boy’s lips. He took a few seconds to revel in the feel of Makoto’s lips against his, how they were slightly chapped but still so soft and gentle, and the feeling of Makoto exhaling sharply through his nose so that it ruffled his hair.

And just like that, he knew he had ruined everything. Haru quickly shot back, staring at Makoto, whose eyes were wide with shock and who seemed frozen in place. 

He had ruined the best thing that had happened to him and now he really was doomed to be alone.

Trembling slightly, Haru pushed himself off the floor and turned towards the door. “I’m-…I-…Sorry, I—“ he gritted out, trying to get out of Makoto’s room as fast as he could and run all the way home and let out the tears that were threatening to fall.

“Haru!” A gentle grip on his forearm stopped him from getting through the door. “Haru, wait…”

He couldn’t look up, he didn’t dare meet Makoto’s eyes and see the rejection that would lie behind them.

“Haru.” Makoto breathed softly, placing his hand on Haru’s cheek and turning his eyes towards him. Haru stared at the sight before him. Instead of an angry or hurt expression, he saw that smile; same as always but softened with something he had never seen before. Makoto closed the distance between them, pulling Haru into a warm embrace as he nuzzled his hair. 

“Oh Haru…I wanted to say something before, but I was worried, so worried that you would hate me if I-…” He broke off, waiting for Haru to look up to meet his gaze. “I knew I loved you the moment I saw you.”

Haru could barely believe what he was hearing, could barely believe the gentleness of Makoto’s hand as he reached up to wipe away a few of the stray tears that had leaked out of his eyes and could barely believe it when Makoto leaned down to kiss him this time.

But even if he could hardly believe it now, he was sure they would have plenty of time to make this dream-like situation seem real.


End file.
